After a few rough weeks, the Atlanta Braves have finally gotten some good news. Currently sitting as one of the best teams in baseball, injuries have begun to run rampant on the lineup and pitching rotation. After finally getting right-handed starter Brandon Beachy back from Tommy John surgery, the pitcher suffered what appeared to be a setback, but might not be as bad as originally thought.
Dr. James Andrews who performed the original surgery on Beachy confirmed that the pitcher has no structural damage to his repaired elbow. Beachy has not started since Aug. 20 after he was experiencing discomfort in the elbow. Many feared that he may he reinjured the ligament, but as of now that does not appear to be the case.
The news comes as a relief to Atlanta who already lost pitcher Tim Hudson for the remainder of the season. Beachy has started five times since returning from injury. He is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 23 strikeouts. The Braves will shut down the 26-year old for 10 days in hopes that rest will fix things. When he returns, a move to the bullpen might be what is best for the pitcher.
"Obviously I think of myself as a starter, and plan to be a starter in the future but I'm no dummy," Beachy said, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "You look at the timing of everything, I'm willing to help this team any way I can. Obviously my first priority is making sure I'm healthy and then beyond that helping this team win is paramount."
The Braves currently have a lineup of Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Paul Maholm and Alex Wood. They have a strong bullpen already and need Beachy's big arm in the starting rotation.
Beachy's good news comes on the heels of bad news with Jason Heyward. The outfielder is currently recovering from a broken jaw suffered after getting pegged in the face. Originally expected to miss four to six weeks, Heyward said those are merely estimates and he has no timetable for a return.
"I have to be smart and understand that it's a broken jaw," Heyward said, via the AP. "It's not just a broken finger or anything like that. So if I do get hit again, if I don't let it heal, that's my mistake. But you have to be smart about it. I want to start the timetable of playing again as soon as possible. I'll just have to wait and see what the doctor says."
The loss of Heyward is a big blow to the Braves postseason plans. He was hitting .357 at the time of his injury. He was hitting in the leadoff spot in the order. Atlanta is hoping this is the final stretch of injuries for the team. If they can get Beachy and Heyward back before the playoffs, things will be fine.
